The present invention relates to a reactor for carrying out non-adiabatic reactions in general. More particularly, the invention provides a reaction system for use in the conversion of a feedstock by endothermic or exothermic reactions especially in small-scale industrial applications and for installation in vehicles.
Endothermic or exothermic reactions require constant supply or removal of heat for maintaining reasonable reaction rates. Heat is in industrial reactors for carrying out those reactions usually transferred by convection or radiation from a heat conducting medium. During endothermic reactions, necessary heat is usually supplied indirectly by hot flue gas obtained by combustion of fuel. Cooling of exothermic reactions is typically performed indirectly by heat exchange with a hot fluid or directly through addition of cold quenches gases.
In small sized chemical plants and in mobile use of endothermic reactors, combustion of fuel is in general a disadvantage due to environmental and safety regulations requiring emission purification and expensive measures to prevent danger of fire.
The general object of this invention is thus to provide a reactor or reaction system for use in the above mentioned small size applications being carried out in a compact reactor. Heat is supplied or removed by means of indirect heat conduction with a heat-conducting medium or means such as oil, steam, by electrical heating means and cooling liquids.
The above heat conducting media and electrical heaters are conventionally employed in the heating of reactors in a laboratory or of bench-scale size.
It is further known to heat different catalyst structures electrically. Those methods are typically used in catalytic purification of automobile exhaust and for start-up procedures in catalytic converters (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,070,694; 5,456,890 ; and 6,109,018.)